# Arkansas SB624: TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT; TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015; AND TO ALLOW A STUDENT TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL WITHIN HIS OR HER RESIDENT DISTRICT. Arkansas SB624, TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT; TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015; AND TO ALLOW A STUDENT TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL WITHIN HIS OR HER RESIDENT DISTRICT., is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Breanne Davis (Republican), Austin McCollum (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-04-18 (Notification that SB624 is now Act 732); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB624-2025 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas SB624 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS OPPORTUNITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT; TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE ACT OF 2015; AND TO ALLOW A STUDENT TO TRANSFER TO ANOTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL WITHIN HIS OR HER RESIDENT DISTRICT. - Status: enacted - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-04-03 - Last action: 2025-04-18, Notification that SB624 is now Act 732 - Sponsors: Breanne Davis (Republican), Austin McCollum (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (96 yes, 20 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More public school choices for families: benefit, medium. Arkansas K–12 students can seek another public school in their home district or a different district. Parents, guardians, or students age 18 or older can request a transfer based on the student's best interest. A district's “F” rating or Level 5 intensive-support status also opens a transfer path.… - Transfer students keep credits and equal treatment: benefit, medium. Receiving schools must accept graduation credits awarded by another district. They must award a diploma when the student meets their graduation requirements. Schools cannot discriminate based on gender, national origin, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, or home address. Acceptance standards ca… - Space and conduct limits on school transfers: cost, medium. Districts must determine capacity for every school and grade. A receiving school can claim lack of space when its legal student-to-teacher limit is reached or grade-level seats are at least 95% full on the application date. Capacity claims must follow state and federal law. Opportunity-choice stude… - Local student transfers get decisions and appeals: mixed, medium. Students seeking another school in their home district apply only to that district, January 1–May 1. Fall applications must be postmarked or delivered by May 1, with a timing exception for dependents of uniformed service members and veterans. The district must decide in writing within 15 calendar d… - Students keep transfers but face renewal limits: mixed, medium. Transfers remain binding for later full school years through high-school completion unless the family timely applies for another transfer. Students can accept only one choice transfer per school year; those covered by subsection (n) start upon written acceptance. Students can return to their home d… - Transfer students gain activities with athletic requirements: mixed, medium. Schools cannot deny extracurricular participation or discipline students solely because they transferred. For covered athletic transfers, students must file the Changing Schools/Athletic Participation form with the receiving school and Arkansas Activities Association. They must enroll by July 1 bef… - Families handle transfer travel and fees: mixed, low. Students can attend an out-of-district school through a tuition agreement. Its tuition or fees must also apply to students assigned to that district. Families generally handle transportation to and from the receiving district, including transportation for military dependents. Districts can voluntar… - School funding follows students across districts: mixed, low. Students transferring under the Public School Choice Act of 2015 count in the receiving district's average daily membership. This shifts associated state funding to the receiving district and away from the student's home district. It does not create a direct household payment. Districts must report… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Breanne Davis (Republican), Senate - Sponsor: Austin McCollum (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jim Dotson (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-14 | House | House Vote - Monday, April 14, 2025 8:02:25 PM | pass | 77 | 16 | 1 | | 2025-04-08 | Senate | Senate Vote - Tuesday, April 8, 2025 5:30:58 PM | pass | 19 | 4 | 5 | ## Actions (15) - 2025-04-18: Notification that SB624 is now Act 732 (Senate) - 2025-04-15: DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR. (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Reported correctly enrolled and ordered delivered to the Governor. (Senate) - 2025-04-14: ORDERED ENROLLED (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Returned from the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-14: Returned to the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-04-14: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-04-10: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-04-08: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-04-08: RECEIVED FROM THE SENATE (House) - 2025-04-08: Ordered immediately transmitted to the House. (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Filed (Senate) ## Bill text - SB624 - Introduced, 2025-04-03: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB624.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=732.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R) ## Related bills - HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. (enacted) - HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS. (failed) - HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO SET PENALTIES FOR A VIOLATION OF THE PROHIBITION OF SOLICITATION OF INJURED INDIV… (failed) - SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE USE OF ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS; AND TO REGULATE ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS FACILITIES. (failed) - HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO ALLOW A MUNICIPALITY TO PETITION TO SET ASIDE THE SALE OF PROPERTY TO CERTAIN P… (failed) - HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY; TO REQUIRE THAT A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BE SELECTED A… (failed) ## Sources - [SB624 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSB624.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=732.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R) ## Related - [HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1265-2025) - [HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1686-2025) - [HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1237-2025) - [SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE US…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB440-2025) - [HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1695-2025) - [HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HR1012-2025) - [Arkansas bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/arkansas/bills) - [Arkansas state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/arkansas) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB624-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).